1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus for forming images on a heat-development-type photosensitive material which is developed by application of heat, and particularly to a photosensitive material processing apparatus in which a processing member is superimposed on the heat-development-type photosensitive material to thereby form images on the heat-development-type photosensitive material through application of heat.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a method known as conventional color photography, a color photosensitive material for photographing use (the so-called color negative film) generally comprises a layer capable of recording blue light to form a yellow image, a layer capable of recording green light to form a magenta image and a layer capable of recording red light to form a cyan images. When such a material undergoes development-processing after exposure, the silver halide grains having latent images formed by the exposure are reduced to silver, while the developing agent is oxidized. The oxidized developing agent reacts with dye-providing couplers (that is, undergoes coupling reaction) to form dye images. From the resultant material, the undeveloped silver halide and the developed silver are removed in a bleach-fix step subsequent to the development step, thereby obtaining a color negative film in which dye images are formed.
Conventionally, the negative dye images of the color negative film are projected onto a color photosensitive material for printing use, and the thus exposed printing material is subjected to development and bleach-fix steps similar to the above, thereby obtaining a color print.
Also, another method of forming color images in a printing material is known, wherein the image information present in a color negative as described above is read by a photoelectric means, and subjected to image processing to be converted into image data for recording, based on which images are formed on a different printing material. In particular, the development of digital photoprinters has been advanced as an embodiment of the foregoing method. An example of such photoprinters is described in JP-A-7-015593. In a digital photoprinter, the image data are converted into digital signals, and laser light modulated in accordance with those digital signals is used for scanning exposure of photosensitive materials, such as color paper, to provide finished prints.
The methods cited above presuppose usual development, bleach and fixation steps (wet processing steps), and so their processing steps are complex.
Also, use of processing solutions and the like involves troublesome management thereof and a solution stain on an apparatus which shortens the service life of the apparatus.